Battery.



PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. W. E. MURRAY.

BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED AUG.2. 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

N WAN WITNESSES PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. W. B. MURRAY.

BATTERY.

PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

W. E. MURRAY.

BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2. 1904.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 3 COI, WASHINGTON. D- a.

nu- NORRIS PETERS Nrrnn STATES PATENT orrion BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed August 2,1904. Serial No. 219,246,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,W1LL1AM EDWARD MUR- RAY, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, at present residing inthe city of Los'Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, in the State ofCalifornia, have invented a certain Improved Battery, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description or specification.

The apparatus constituting my present invention has for its object toprovide increased capability of offensive and defensive operations byheavy guns both at sea and on land and my invention consists of arotating annular shield on a floor or equivalent support, within whichthe guns are carried so as to be fired and to recoil in a radialdirection-that is to say, transversely of the floor of the annularshieldthe guns being always maintained within the shield insuchpositions that the breeches of the guns are always facing thecentral compartment within the annular shield, from which the ammunitionused in the guns is served directly to the breechchambers thereof.

The annular shield constituting my invention is provided withantifriction-rollers at its bottom, and these antifriction-rollers carrythe weight of the annular shield and that of the guns within it uponannular railways, forming part of whatsoever structure the annularshield with its guns are or may be mounted on.

The structure upon which the apparatus or device constituting my presentinvention is carried may consist of a steady floating body, or it maybethe hull of a ship, orit may consist of a stationary tower, mound, orfort situated anywhere on land. The structure constituting my inventionis essentially a ring-shaped inclosure containing the guns at suitablein-i tervals Within it, the exterior of the inclosure being preferablyinclined and having ports in.

the inclined portion through which the muzzles and front portions of theguns project. When the shield and guns are being rotated, great facilityis afforded for discharging the guns in succession upon the object orobjects they are operated against. The guns are reloaded by the guncrews within the rotating shield or inclosure. This is quickly effectedby suflioient ammunition being moved from a magazine to within astationary central chamber. and transferred therefrom by the gun crewsat any instant into the breechchambers of the guns, this centralcircular chamber forming part' of the improved device or apparatusconstituting my present invention.

In order that my said invention may be the better understood, 1 havehereunto appended drawings showing my invention and the manner ofcarrying the same into practical effect,

and of which drawings Figure 1 is in part an elevation andv in part atransverse section of my annular rotating shield, gun carrying floor,and the other parts thereof, showing one of the guns within the shield,also the port-holes through which the muzzles and front parts of theother guns project, and the central chamber from which ammunition issupplied to the guns as required, it being here explained that themagazine from which the ammunition is withdrawn for supplying the gunsis located at such depth within the structure upon which my annularshield and guns are carried that it is out of reach of the missiles ofopposing guns. Fig. 2 is a detail of the revolving gear and 'someadjacent parts of my rotating shield.

Fig. 3 is in part anelevation and in part a transverse section of asteady floating structure, on a smaller scale than Fig. 1, the saidsteady floating structure being shown as ada ted for being mounted withmy annular shie d-inclosure and guns within the same.

Fig. 4 is in part a plan and in part a series of horizontal sectionscorresponding to Fig. 3, the sectional orinterior parts being severallydrawn to correspond with the dotted line a a in Fig. 3.

With reference to Fig. 1 my present improvement consists of the annularshield or inclosure (marked A) which is constructed of an annular bottomB, beneath which rings of rollers C are secured, and whereby the weightof the shield A, that of the un-floor D, and the weight also of theseverrfi guns E is carried and supported rotatably upon the annularrails F, fastened down to the upper deck G of the steady floatingstructure of the kind hereinbefore referred to. Between some of therings of rollers C there are secured projecting downwardly from theannular bottom B circular racks of spur-teeth (marked H) With Which thetoothed pinions I, carried on one of the driving-shafts J, gear. It ishere explained that several driving-shafts J, with toothed pinions Igearing into the several circular toothed racks H, are used for rotatingthe annular shield A, these being placed at intervals beneath the upper.deck

G, in which openings are cut to allow a part of each pinion to projectupward through each such opening, as shown at both Figs. 1 and 2. tatedat the same speed, so as to produce conformity of rotation of the shieldand guns. The driving-gear engines by which these shafts J are driven donot constitute any part of my present invention, as any of thewell-known types of engines and drivingglear adapted for the purpose maybe em- 0 ed. p The central chamber K around which the annular shield Ais situated is built up from the deck G, and that portion thereof whichis situated within the annular shield A is constructed with openings,such as the archways L, (shown at Figs. 1 and 3,) through which accessis had to the guns E in the annular shield A, whose interior centralpart is also constructed with openings or archways M. Through these twosets of openings or archways ample free space is provided for the guncrews and the transmission of ammunition from the central chamber -K andthe interior of the annular rotating shield A. The upper part of thecentral chamber K may constitute a gun-turret, as shown at Figs. 1, 3,and 4," but this constitutes no part of my present invention. The lowerpart of the structure (shown at Figs. 3 and 4) represent a completesteady floating structure constructed according to my aforesaid allowedapplication for Letters Patent, and the weights and cables 0 and P,respectively, correspond to the weights, cables, and anchoringarrangements described in the specification of my aforesaid application,and therefore con stitute no part of my present invention.

Having now described my said invention and the best system, mode, ormanner I am at present acquainted with for carrying the same intopractical effect, I desire to observe The several driving-shafts J areroin conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, andtherefore claim as the invention to be secured to me by Letters Patent,is as follows:

1. The rotatable annular shield or inclosure provided with gun floor orplatform, guns and port-holes, the whole being carried uponantifriction-rolle'rs, movable on circular rails, gear for rotating thesame, carried on the deck or upper part of a floating, or stationarysupport, the central chamber, archways in both the annular shield andcentral chamber for access between the rotating shield and'the centralchamber, to the latter of which ammunition is supplied and from whichammunition is delivered to the guns, the archways in both the annularshield and central chamber, substantially as hereinbefore described. 2.The combination of the rotatable annular shield having guns, gun flooror platform, archways and means for rotating the shield, and the centralchamber with archways, and around which central chamber the annularshield and its guns are rotatedfall operating in'the manner and for thepurposes substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. The combination in the steady vertically-movable floating battery orstructure adapted to be loaded to a greater or less depth of immersion,of a rotatable annular shield, a gun floor or platform forming part ofsaid shield, guns mounted thereon, a relatively stationary centralchamber and a weighted l and yielding anchoring apparatus, substanltially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, in thepresence of two sub- I scribing witnesses, this 26th day of July,

WILLIAM EDWARD MURRAY. [L s] ltnesses:

ST. JOHN DAY, IRNIE BATEMAN.

